Page 7 of An Unlikely Debutante

Lina tried to hide the flare of hope in her eyes. Maybe this was the solution she’d been hoping for. Uncle Tom might moan, but he would accept payment of her debt in jewellery or other goods, as long as he was paid.

‘What would I be expected to do exactly?’

‘You would come and live with me for six weeks.’ Lord Whitemore held up a hand just as Lina opened her mouth to protest. ‘I will, of course, ensure you are properly chaperoned during that time. Your reputation will be safeguarded.’

‘My brother will still protest. He is rather protective.’

‘As all good brothers should be. I will talk to him, man to man, and give him my assurances that nothing untoward will happen.’

Lina shrugged. If Lord Whitemore could persuade Raul to let her stay with him for six weeks, then she would be mightily impressed. Many people thought gypsies to have loose morals and easy virtues, but in Lina’s experience the same standards were expected of the young gypsy women as every other young woman. They might not live the same conventional lives as everyone else, but if they wanted to find a decent partner to settle down with, they were expected to be untouched and unblemished on their wedding night.

‘And whilst I am staying with you for six weeks...?’ Lina asked.

‘I will teach you to dance, to converse, how to address people at social functions.’

‘Really complicated skills, then.’

‘I admit you can dance, but can you dance a waltz? You can converse, but can you impress a group of society matrons with your demure manner and correct forms of address?’

Lina shrugged. This was why she had always steered clear of the county dances in the towns and villages they visited. There were so many rules, so many opportunities for other people to look down on her, it hardly seemed worth the effort.

‘These things matter. Don’t ask me why, I happen to agree with you. Life would be much more fun if some of the formalities were dispensed with.’

‘So I’d live with you, have lessons in dancing and how to conduct a banal conversation. Anything else?’

‘At the end of the six weeks we would attend a ball together. That is the test. If you get a full dance card, behave appropriately and are successful at blending in with the other debutantes, then I will win the wager.’

‘And I return to my family.’

‘Exactly, and although I cannot pay you, you will be able to take all the new clothes and gifts with you when you leave.’

It probably wouldn’t be enough to pay off her entire debt, Lina thought, but at least it would be a start. Something to keep Uncle Tom at bay for another few weeks.

‘I will do it,’ Lina said.

She gasped with shock as Lord Whitemore picked her up and spun her round. He looked boyish and carefree for a moment, the frown she had picked up on during his fortune telling wiped from his face.

‘If you can persuade Raul,’ she added.

‘That, my dear, will not be a problem.’